St. Louis Hip Injury Attorneys

Hip Dislocation

The hip joint is a very stable, well-supported structure that requires a great deal of force to disrupt. As such, this type of injury typically occurs with significant traumatic events – frontal auto accidents, auto versus pedestrian accidents, falls from significant heights, and serious contact sports injuries. In a head on car accident, your forward motion can result in your knees connecting with the dashboard creating a large amount of force directed backwards towards your hip causing it to dislocate posteriorly, or backwards. Alternatively, a direct hit to the hip area or to the knee while the hip is flexed can cause a dislocation.

Hip Dislocation Symptoms and Treatment

The most common symptom is sudden onset of pain. There may be local swelling and bruising around the hip as well. The individual’s leg will appear shorter than the uninjured leg. Additionally, the hip will be flexed and the leg will be turned inward. Due to possible nerve or blood vessel compression, you may notice decreased sensation in the upper leg and/or weakness.

Treatment for a hip dislocation involves reducing or relocating the hip back into the proper place. This can be done in the emergency room with adequate pain control using pain medication such as Valium. Additionally, a splint will typically be used to reduce hip movement initially to allow the stretched muscles and tendons to recover and restabilize the hip joint. In some instances, surgery may be required to relocate the hip and/or place metal pins to help hold the hip in place.

Prognosis

If the hip is reduced within 6 hours, the rate of complication lowers. The longer it takes to reduce the hip, the more likely nerve injury can occur or loss of blood supply to the top of the leg bone. If nerve injury occurs, you may notice numbness or tingling down the back of the leg; with loss of blood supply, severe pain will be noted.

As with any injury to a joint, there will be an increased chance of arthritis in the hip at a younger age.

Legal Representation You Can Depend On

Our St. Louis pelvic injury attorneys are dedicated to helping clients obtain the compensation they deserve in order to rebuild their lives after a traumatic hip injury. We will be able to help you hold negligent parties liable for your injuries and give you peace of mind during this difficult time. Schedule a free consultation today by calling (314) 322-8515.